Thursday, May 28, 2015

Parshas Nasso contains many well-known
mitzvos and events including the mitzvah of Nazir, Sotah, the Blessings of the
Kohanim, and the final chapter in the parshah, the gifts of the Nesi’im in
honor of the Consecration of the Mishkan.

According to the pesukim, each day for
twelve days, one Nassi brought a gift of korbanos and other utensils to be used
in the Mishkan. I say “according to the pesukim”, because the Ramban has an
interesting explanation for how these gifts were given.

He explains that all of these korbanos
were not spread out over twelve day, but were actually brought at the same time
on the same day. But in order to give each Nassi the credit he deserved for his
special gift, Hashem wanted to give each one their time in the sun. Therefore,
the Torah lists each one as being brought on a different day. Then, at the end
of the parshah, there is a collective summary given of everything that was
brought. This was done to show that even though the Torah lists certain Nesi’im
ahead of others, at the end of the day, each of them and their gifts were equal
in Hashem’s eyes.

I believe this shows us an important
point about how Hashem views all of us. No matter our position in society, we
do not need to worry about being lost in the crowd. Even if our actions are the
same as everyone else, Hashem will see our true intentions and give us our time
in the sun.

Thursday, May 21, 2015

As Shavuos once again comes upon us, we
continue to search for ways to reconnect to the original Shavuos, when the
entire Bnei Yisrael stood by Har Sinai and accepted the Torah with full hearts.
Even though we study Torah every day, every Shavuos we try to make it as much a
part of us as it was by Har Sinai. We want to go beyond our daily observance
and study, and show Hashem how much we truly appreciate the Torah and its
importance in our lives. In this dvar Torah, we will try to capture that
feeling.

There is a famous medrash that tells a
story that before Hashem offered the Torah to Bnei Yisrael, He went around to
all the nations of the world and offered it to them. Each nation asked what responsibilities
accepting the Torah entailed, and Hashem offered each nation one obligation
that went against their natural tendencies. For example, when Hashem offered it
to the nation of Esav, He told them of the prohibition against killing. Esav,
being an aggressive and bloodthirsty nation, did not accept the Torah. Upon
going to Bnei Yisrael, we know that they said “Na’aseh V’Nishma!” without
hesitation; they trusted Hashem that this gift would be the best thing for
them, even if they did not know beforehand what it consisted of. This was how
they showed their dedication to Hashem, by accepting the Torah without
questions.

This medrash begs a question: we
know that Hashem had promised the Avos that their children would be His chosen
nation, and we know that part of being the chosen nation was accepting the
Torah. So let’s say the other nations that Hashem had offered the Torah to
would have accepted, would Hashem have given it to them? Absolutely not! The
Torah belonged to us, it was our decision to accept it or not! So what is the
meaning behind this medrash? What is the value of this story?

Reb Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev, in his
sefer Kedushas Levi, offers a beautiful explanation to this medrash. As we
know, Hashem always prepares the cure before He brings the disease. In this
case, He knew that eventually we would go into exile and live among the
nations. Having to live in exile for thousands of years, inevitably we would
begin to establish relationships with our host nations. Explains the Kedushas Levi,
even when a Jew is discussing matters of this world, his soul is constantly
seeking spirituality. Goyim, however, have no personal or genetic connection to
Torah, and therefore, do not naturally seek spirituality the same way we do. Can
you imagine having to do business with someone who all the way through has no innate
desire to grow spiritually, to connect with Hashem? We would go completely
crazy!

Therefore, Hashem did us a tremendous
favor. He went around to the nations of the world and showed them His beautiful
Torah. He showed them the deep wisdom it contained, and the tremendous
spiritual heights to be gained through it; and then showed them the tremendous
responsibility it entailed. The nations were drawn in by the spirituality, but
had to decline due to the obligations.

However, the desire for Torah did not
completely leave them. It was passed on through the generations until their
descendents, deep down, without even knowing it, harbored a desire for Torah.

There is a famous vort from the
Arizal that the reason why the Jews were spread all over the world in exile is
because each country has a few sparks of kedushah contained within its
residents, and we need to experience those sparks in order to complete our own levels
of kedushah.

When the Jews arrived in exile and began
dealing with the Goyim, instead of dealing with people devoid of any spiritual conscience,
they met people with a spark of kedushah hidden within. But not just any spark,
these sparks originated from a desire for Torah.

The Kedushas Levi continues, that by
Matan Torah, Hashem brought this feeling of desire for Torah from the nations,
as well as the desire of the angels for Torah (The gemarah explains that the
angels wanted to receive the Torah but couldn’t since the Torah was written for
human beings.), down to Har Sinai with Him. These desires combined with Bnei
Yisrael’s desire for the Torah to create an atmosphere where everyone present felt
the full impact of what it would mean to receive the Torah.

When we try to reconnect to the original
Matan Torah, this deep desire to be a part of Torah is the feeling we are
looking for. This is how we can recapture the true experience of Har Sinai; and
we can do it on this day of Shavuos, the anniversary of this great occasion.

May we all feel the true desire for
Torah, may we all appreciate the Torah for what it truly is, and may we all be
zoche to a true Kabbalas Hatorah this Chag.

Friday, May 15, 2015

After a few weeks of being one parshah off, everyone will be synchronized following this week's reading. For those who are also reading Parshas Behar this week, the link is included below.

While Parshas Bechukosai is better known for the collection of curses known as the Tochachah, in which Hashem warns Bnei Yisrael to stay on the right path, the first pasuk in the parshah provides us with a tremendous lesson as well. The parshah begins, “אִם בְּחֻקֹּתַי תֵּלֵכוּ וְאֶת מִצְו‍ֹתַי תִּשְׁמְרוּ וַעֲשִׂיתֶם אֹתָם” “If you follow My statutes and observe My commandments and perform them” (Vayikra 26:3). Rashi asks, what is the difference between following the statutes and observing the commandments? Aren’t they the same thing? The famous answer given is that Hashem is telling us that besides for keeping the mitzvos, we must spend time studying the text of the Torah. But not just studying, laboring through it; spending time and energy focusing on examining the Torah until its depths. This is key to receiving Hashem’s blessings.

The Ohr HaChaim offers 42 explanations as to the advantages of in-depth Torah study that makes it so vital. We have discussed a number of these explanations in previous years, and this year I would like to offer another.

Hashem rewards us for each mitzvah that we do, even if it’s very small. However, if we do an aveirah that directly counteracts the mitzvah, it is possible for that mitzvah to be overshadowed by it when our merit is tallied up (See Sotah 21a). Except for the mitzvah of learning Torah, which cannot be overshadowed by any amount of sinning. The reward for the in-depth study of Torah will always remain prominent.

This explanation should help emphasize an important point: the in-depth study of the Torah is just as significant as the performance of the mitzvos. Even though this study may not serve a practical means like mitzvos do, what it does is show our love and commitment to Hashem. The Torah was written by Hashem, and therefore, we can learn a lot about Him through its study. Through the study of this gift, we display a desire to know and understand Hashem better. In other words, we express a desire to enhance our relationship with Him; the same purpose served by the mitzvos.

While going through this parshah and its warnings of staying on the right path, let us remember that there are multiple ways to do stay straight and each one serves its own purpose. Neither can be said to be more important than the other, and neither can fulfill each other’s purpose.